debunking lies and stopping fakes: lessons from ukraine. by olga yurkova. #rockitwaw

Debunking lies and stopping fakes:lessons from Ukraine

Kyiv, Ukraine

• Launched on March 2, 2014 • Founders: Ukrainian journalists,

Mohyla School of Journalism alumni• Languages: Russian, English• Site stopfake.org, weekly video

newscasts, pages in social networks

• Honest and impartial• Working only with facts, not with opinions• Providing understandable

evidences

• have fact-checked tens thousands of news

• revealed more then 1000 fakes• 10 language versions• 7 million unique users • 23 million page views• 180 700 followers in social

networks• 29 100 followers of video digest • 2,9 million views on youtube• trained about 10 000 people

Russian propaganda is the system

Propaganda narratives in 2014

1. Сoup d’état and Western-backed junta2. Ukraine as a ‘fascist state’3. Russia is not a part of occupation/war4. Ukrainian Army is weak5. War in Ukraine is actually conducted by the US,

NATO or private contractors 6. Volunteer Battalions7. Internally displaced people and refugees to Russia8. MH17

Refugees to Russia

Ukraine as a fascist state

Ukrainian army

Ukrainian army

Propaganda narratives in 2015

1. ‘Territorial claims’ from neighboring countries2. AIDS/ZIKA/ other disease stories 3. Territorial disintegration of Ukraine4. Fake legitimization of Crimea annexation and

occupation of Donbass by foreign governments, international organizations or foreign media

5. Ukraine/Turkey/Syria/ISIS

Territorial disintegration

Fake legitimization of Crimea annexation

Propaganda narratives in 2016

1. Decline of Western support for Ukraine2. International organizations manipulated3. Ukraine and the European Union4. Disintegration of the European Union, decay of the

US and West in general5. Ukraine as a ‘failed state’

Decline of western support for Ukraine

Russian propaganda adjusts to current

events and features of a particular country

Propaganda narratives in 2016

in Europe1. Europe is facing Armageddon due to migration2. Europeans want to recognize Crimea as Russian

but the EU stands in the way3. The murder of British MP Jo Cox was an inside

job to sway the Brexit vote4. Ukraine isn’t part of Europe5. Latvians are perpetual fascists6. Merkel, Hollande, and the EU are to blame for

the migrant crisis

We need to return back to fact-checking. We need to reinvent

journalism

Reach policy makers

What for? One example

Fake news can ruin lives.

Fighting fake news can save lives.

@olga_yurkova

+38 067 296 95 95

olga.urkova@gmail.com

olga.urkova